Tilting of the surgical microscope is a rotational movement about a tilt axis and pivoting is a rotational movement of the microscope about a pivot axis. The tilting movement is understood to be a movement forwardly or rearwardly and the pivoting is understood to be a movement to the left or to the right viewed from the position of the operator. The particular rotational range with respect to a preselected base position extends approximately .+-.30.degree.. In order to align the surgical microscope in a larger spatial region with respect to the operating field, it is known to provide different base positions of the surgical microscope on the stand from which the microscope can be tilted and pivoted.
The setting of different base positions has not been improved in known apparatus in that the setting is either not free of play or the setting is limited with respect to the load that can be applied.